Vascular Plants

Vascular plants have a more complex structure than macroscopic algae, including tube-like vascular bundles for nutrient transport.  They range in size from less than 1 meter to greater than 4 meters in length and are diverse in form.  Although some commonly found types are easy to identify (e.g., coontail and waterweed), others require careful examination (e.g., water stargrass and narrow-leaf pondweed).  Vascular plants are a prominent feature of the shallow waters of connecting rivers of the Great Lakes (Figure 3).